Introduction to the Book of John
In the Gospel according to John, he wrote to a different audience and with a different reason. The other three Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark and Luke) were written for a historical chronological accounting of the life and times of Jesus. John stated that his purpose for writing his accounting was to show that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, and that believers in Him might have eternal life.
Eternal Life?
I used to think I'd be really bored in heaven. That floating around on a cloud and playing a harp would be monotonous. But that's not heaven -- it sounds more like hell to me! God wants us to enjoy a special quality of life forever and ever, and the Bible teaches that it will be beyond our human ability to grasp understanding, that we can't even imagine the things that are in store for us. When you turn your trust toward God, He grants that very promise to you!
Have you ever heard the terms "eternal life" or "everlasting life" and wondered about what's the difference? Everlasting life, just like it says: lasts forever, it's quantitative. Eternal life is qualitative. It's better than we can even imagine, and I can imagine some fantastic things! Better than that! Unimaginable! So with God, you get both after you put your trust in Him: you will live forever and you will have a total quality of life than on this broken planet, Earth, where everything rusts and decays, love is diminished and our hopes are crushed.
John knew that, so he wrote to help us come into a fresh relationship with Jesus, the Author of our faith. It's not about having a religion that makes one a believer, it's about having a relationship and going to God for strength to live this crazy thing called life. The Church isn't a building. The Church is the people of God. It's the best place to find others who want to do the same thing: have God's strength for life. The Church on earth is the closest thing we've got to heaven, but people are still living in a world of sin, that's why no church is perfect! But in this life, it's the best thing we've got. If we commit to one another in our striving to be like Jesus, we will be closer to what God intends for us for eternity.
John clearly states that Jesus is God in the flesh, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, doing the miraculous things He did as God, and that He is personable and knowable as God. John says about God that Jesus has explained Him. The events recorded in John's accounting are over the period of seven years in the life of Jesus. So John is not showing us a chronological period of time, but is writing to show that Jesus is God, that we should believe on Him and receive eternal life through Him... John 20:30 "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."
Let's read John 1-2 here.
Eternal Life?
I used to think I'd be really bored in heaven. That floating around on a cloud and playing a harp would be monotonous. But that's not heaven -- it sounds more like hell to me! God wants us to enjoy a special quality of life forever and ever, and the Bible teaches that it will be beyond our human ability to grasp understanding, that we can't even imagine the things that are in store for us. When you turn your trust toward God, He grants that very promise to you!
Have you ever heard the terms "eternal life" or "everlasting life" and wondered about what's the difference? Everlasting life, just like it says: lasts forever, it's quantitative. Eternal life is qualitative. It's better than we can even imagine, and I can imagine some fantastic things! Better than that! Unimaginable! So with God, you get both after you put your trust in Him: you will live forever and you will have a total quality of life than on this broken planet, Earth, where everything rusts and decays, love is diminished and our hopes are crushed.
John knew that, so he wrote to help us come into a fresh relationship with Jesus, the Author of our faith. It's not about having a religion that makes one a believer, it's about having a relationship and going to God for strength to live this crazy thing called life. The Church isn't a building. The Church is the people of God. It's the best place to find others who want to do the same thing: have God's strength for life. The Church on earth is the closest thing we've got to heaven, but people are still living in a world of sin, that's why no church is perfect! But in this life, it's the best thing we've got. If we commit to one another in our striving to be like Jesus, we will be closer to what God intends for us for eternity.
John clearly states that Jesus is God in the flesh, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, doing the miraculous things He did as God, and that He is personable and knowable as God. John says about God that Jesus has explained Him. The events recorded in John's accounting are over the period of seven years in the life of Jesus. So John is not showing us a chronological period of time, but is writing to show that Jesus is God, that we should believe on Him and receive eternal life through Him... John 20:30 "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."
Let's read John 1-2 here.
